Elinor Heiner Carr, loving mother, grandmother and friend to all whose lives she touched, passed away on March 3, 2020. Elinor was 88 years old and died peacefully at her home in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Elinor was born on October 7, 1931 in Flushing, New York and attended St. Agnes Academic High School in College Point, NY, where she was a leader of the Debate Team. She was a 1953 graduate of St. John’s University where she met her loving husband Frank. Elinor and Frank were married in New York in January 1953 and celebrated 67 years of marriage. Elinor later obtained a Master’s in Education at Fairfield University. In her 50s, her thirst for learning compelled her to study ancient Greek. For numerous consecutive summers, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Elinor studied with Gregory Nagy, Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek and Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University.
Elinor was truly beloved: by her husband Frank Carr of Greenwich, CT; by her children Maeve Carr Heath of West Norwalk, CT and Frank Jay Carr of Tarrytown, NY; and by her four grandchildren Keira Heath, Andrew Carr, Devon Heath and Cristina Carr. She is also survived by her brother John O’Hare of Chester, CT and by her sister Lorraine Moran of Mt. Sinai, NY. Elinor was predeceased by her sister Rosemary Heiner and her brother Edward O’Hare; her brother Edward Heiner and her husband Frank both passed away since her death.
Teaching and continually learning along with her students were Elinor’s passions. For over 25 years, Elinor excelled as an English and Humanities Teacher in Bella House at Greenwich High School and was co-creator of the noted Shapers of the World Program. She hosted yearly trips for her students to Greece, Italy and throughout Europe, making sure to sample the best available cuisine along the way. She brought the ancient classics to life for her students, often acting out, in costume, the parts of famous mythological Greek women, creating an academic experience that was equally engaging, informative, and instructive.
Elinor sincerely believed “‘Every human being is capable of noble thought.” She taught Greek as an independent study course and founded the Greenwich High School Poetry Society. She initiated a yearly poetry contest which was open to all students. She was a very active member of the Greenwich Arts Council and Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG), an international organization of women educators. She was an officer on the executive board with the local chapter of DKG and served as the chairperson of its major fund raiser and chair of the Sunshine Committee.
A celebration of Elinor’s life will be held at St. Paul’s Church, 84 Sherwood Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06831 – (203) 531-8741 – on Saturday, November 13, 2021 beginning at Noon. A funeral mass will be followed immediately by a reception for close friends, family and her students in the St. Paul’s Parish Hall. Please email your remembrances, condolences and pictures of Elinor to her son Frank at [email protected] or her daughter, Maeve at [email protected].
Donations to Greenwich Scholarship Association are welcome. Greenwich Scholarship Association, P.O. Box 4627, Greenwich, CT 06831.